


They told you everything was-

by Birdegg, junebugtwin



Series: Ever After Shame [3]
Category: Ever After High
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Collaboration, Depression, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, Fantasy Classism, Fantasy Racism, History, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Isolation, Lore - Freeform, Separation Anxiety, apple white has a large birth of emotional problems, apple's mom sucks, canon? i don't know her, maddie is a good friend, milton grimm is a dick, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:22:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22550116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdegg/pseuds/Birdegg, https://archiveofourown.org/users/junebugtwin/pseuds/junebugtwin
Summary: Was that…AppleWhite? Raven blinked in surprise. Okay. Well she probably should have guessed the headmaster would put her in a room with Apple, but she really hadn’t thought about it. Raven gave Apple a nervous wave and trotted forward. So she wasn’t even going to get one last hurrah before destiny was forced on her huh? She had enough nightmares with Apple in them already, she didn’t think she needed a daily reminder of who was going to gain from her suffering.“Uh…hey Apple? I-I guess we’re roommates huh?”
Relationships: Raven Queen/Apple White
Series: Ever After Shame [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620646
Comments: 34
Kudos: 131





	They told you everything was-

**Author's Note:**

> (this is a collab between me and Birdegg, she writes from AppleWhites perspective and I from Ravens)

She’s watching her mother intently, trying to pick up some type of hint on the matter of looking good. She continues to work on her hair, carefully installing red beads into her dark locks. Upon closer inspection, their tiny glimmering apples. Applewhite shifts her dress further down her knees. She wishes that she was a boy and could wear pants; it’s always so hard to maneuver with dresses. Sometimes she thinks it would be better to be a boy. She likes being a girl a lot, but her father has an easier time ruling than she does. In fact, it seems like though most fairy tales were centered on women, the men did the leading and deciding. Weird. Next time Daring Charming visited, she’d have to ask him. He wasn’t very observant, but he was the only friend she really had so he’d have to do.

“Don’t you think it’s a little creepy to just be watching me without saying anything?” Apple startles, eyes snapping back from her pink dress to her mother’s head. She’s still not looking at her daughter; Apple can see her paying careful attention to her mascara in the mirror.

“Sorry SnowWhite, I was thinking too much.” Her mother’s eyes flick towards her, chocolate eyes peering at her curiously.

“Oh? And about what?” Apple startles a little, perfect red nails scratching the glitter on her dress. She can feel some of the sparkling material get under her nails and resists the urge to gag.

“J-just, boys, you know…” Her mother’s eyebrow raises a literal inch in disbelief and disinterest and she goes back to applying her makeup. Sweat sticks to the back of Apple’s dress and she has an irrational fear that her mother can somehow smell it beyond all the perfumes and shampoos.

“Don’t be so concerned about that type of thing. You’re not some type of slut, are you?” She says slut so gently, so casually. From her mother, it doesn’t feel like a horrible insult. Or it doesn’t sound like one, at least. Sometimes it was hard to tell.

“I wasn’t thinking sexually…just. Like how it’s sometimes easier for boys to do certain…” She doesn’t quite finish that sentence before her mother turns around, looking entirely impatient and fed up. Apple’s head lowers visibly, cringing.

“Don’t be so negative, Apple. Sure we can’t do some things, but we can wrap them completely around our thumbs if we want them to do those things for us.” SnowWhite takes a step forward, red beads flashing white when they hit the natural light of the room. Apple’s breathing hitches slightly.

“R-right. I wasn’t-I just…you’re absolutely right mo-“

“Don’t call me that.” Her voice was so polite. So soft, so conversational. She was standing right in front of Apple now, crouching down to her level. The glitter in Apple’s nails dig in father to her skin as she jams them into the bundle of fabrics beside her hand.

“Do you have doubts about ruling, Apple? Is that where this uncertainty comes from?” Oh God yes she did. So many. All she did was learn to bake and curl her hair, how was she going to lead?

“No, no, I don’t. I don’t, honestly!”

“Adding honestly doesn’t make you sound more believable.” Her voice is so quiet now, like a fond whisper. Like she’s sharing some bit of gossip behind the palm of her hand. Her mother’s scarlet lipstick moves upwards as the corner of her mouth lets out a little smile. Apple’s back is pressed into the wall as far as it can go.

“I…sometimes, SnowWhite. But I’m trying to get better!” SnowWhite’s eyes immediately stop glowing and she stands up quickly. Turning around once and walking easily back to the mirror and dresser, her mother sits down gently into her fuzzy pink chair.

“Alright darling, if that’s how you feel. I think you should probably spend a little alone time thinking about why you should be more confident. Don’t you?” Apple would agree to anything, at this point, with the scent of pie perfume still hovering around her face.

“Of course.” She tries to keep her voice steady and not too over excited. She doesn’t like alone time, but she also doesn’t like being with her mo-with SnowWhite when she suddenly notices her.

“Well then…” Her mother drolls, forgetting the rest of her sentence for a moment as she concentrates on re-applying her lipstick. She pops her lips together and pauses, trying to find her thread of thought.

“Off you go to your room hm?” Apple nods, knowing her mother can’t see it, and practically runs out of the room. The same intensity which strikes fear into the enemies of Ever-After Land could sometimes be a little scary to deal with.

Her mother didn’t look back as her daughter jogged out, working intently on her own beauty. _What a very average child I produced._ She thought sardonically, before becoming involved in other thoughts.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Sometimes Raven wonders why she still lives here. She knows it’s wrong to think about moving, especially when other rebels had to live in much worse places, like under bridges or in swamps- but it’s just…the dark fortress is so _big_. and empty. It’s not bad looking or anything, the outside is the only part of the manor that’s’ stereotypically ‘evil’. But that was probably mostly for show- even people like her mom must have needed a break from blacks and purples. It looks normal enough, if not for a little rustic and old fashioned in its décor- her mom was thousands of years old after all.

Raven never wears shoes in the fortress. Most of her heels click loudly and obnoxiously against the crystal like floors of the halls, or make the old wooden boards of the rooms creak and groan. Either way. It’s too abrupt in the silence (and the cold doesn’t bother her-it never really has.) Despite her apparent isolation she never talks to herself, and she shies away from loud noises. Because sometimes she feels like she’s alone, and sometimes she feels like she’s being stalked.

There are no silver mirrors. Apparently her mom can see through those, so a bunch of royal inspectors came and threw them all away sometime when she was younger. Raven finds herself annoyed at that- it’s not that she necessarily wanted to talk to her mom- her mom was unstable and tyrannical (or at least that’s what people told her) but it would have been nice to choose. Raven grips an armrest on an ancient wooden chair, frustration building in her veins, behind her eyes, beating with her heart. The wood breaks.

Raven flinches backwards, cradling her arm between unsure glances at the now broken chair. Ugg. She kept doing that. She wasn’t sure if it was dark magic or super strength running through her blood that caused this sort of thing, she didn’t know who her dad was and nobody really seemed willing to come forward on that one. If only Raven could of done the same. Ticked the ‘no thank you’ option on the associated with The EvilQueen checklist.

Raven shook her head, glancing at a dusty coo-coo clock, mild panic rising in her chest as she realized she was going to be late for school. Dammit. This was becoming a problem. Raven hastily sprinted to the boot room, skidding gracefully past corners and weaving around tight hallways with ease. If only her destiny was floor skating alone like a crazy person, she’d be set. Raven glided to a stop, hurriedly pulling on boots and a coat- her magic ball had claimed it would be rainy today- gritting her teeth in irritation. Something about this place- it diluted time, made it hard to tell when things were happening, or if any time had passed at all. Sometimes a minute felt like hours and a week felt like a day or two. It fucked with her. Or maybe being alone all the time just did that to a person.

But it hardly mattered at this rate, the headmaster was going to start congratulating her on her newfound rebellious streak and she’d have a hard time telling him it was just because she got too wrapped up in her own head to focus on anything, never mind her ‘rep’. Which was stupid anyway. She just wasn’t scary, and she really didn’t want to be. She just wanted some fucking friends really, or just like, people who would talk to her. Maddy was there for her of course, bless her, she was literally the sweetest most perfect person on this whole planet- but it was hard to see her all the time. She lived in Wonderland, and it was already a pretty big waste of magic to transport herself to Ever After High everyday anyway. Plus, sometimes she worried that she was stopping Maddy from making new, less crazy friends.

It wasn’t that the other kids hated her, or at least most of them didn’t seem to- it was that they actively feared her. They felt uncomfortable around her. And she had no idea if it was because she was too much like her mom or not nearly enough.

Sighing Raven pushed through the broad doors, the diluted and foggy daylight streaming through the Monstrous Forest a comforting sight. On principle she wasn’t the biggest fan of nature, but the woods around her castle were admittedly astonishingly beautiful. You definitely had to be careful, but if you knew your way around then it was easy to see what had drove her mom to build a fortress here in the first palace. Raven scanned the treeline, thankful that her regular group of stalkers had better things to do today. At first the crows following her around had been kinda cute, and really, the concept of an army of crows only you could communicate with was inherently cool. But it got old fast, especially since crows in generally were either not very talkative, or honestly pretty rude. Raven mumbled a quick hex under her breath, slightly fascinated as the world around her blended together into an assortment of muddled shapes and colors. This part never got old. The colors slowly evened out again, stopping their sluggish movements to from a cohesive image. The entrance to Ever After High eventually became clear, looking like a fuzzy painting drawn by a semi-competent eight year old. With a sudden jolt and a snap, the world focused into view, becoming real and vivid all at once. Raven paused, shakily catching her bearings. The nausea and unsteadiness got old though. Raven grumbled quietly to herself, finally straightening up enough to look presentable.

“Around the world clocks of hands meet!” Raven smiled broadly, her heart soaring with affection at her friends greeting. Maddy! She turned excitedly, offering her best friend a long lasting hug, her arms clenched desperately around the girl’s side. It felt unbelievably good to touch people, to talk to them, Raven wasn’t sure how most people stood not constantly touching each other.

“Two distant figures united to one in the arms of a block maker!” Raven happily chirped back, finally letting go of the candy colored girl. Maddy smiled somewhat sympathetically, her cyan eyes flickering across Raven face, apparently searching for something.

“Another tough weekend huh coo-coo bird?” Maddy commented quietly. Raven tried to smile.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Briar was talking a lot today. Not a surprise, as the girl usually tended to be quite the chatting type. But this morning the manner of her best friend felt more anxious than giddy. Applewhite shared a concerned glance with Blondie, their blue eyes meeting with worry. Briar got like this sometimes, frenzied and over-excited in a nervous way. Like she only had so much time to speak, and she had to fit in everything she had to say.

Of course there was no way to communicate this with their friend. Briar didn’t tend to listen to advice, nor did she respond to sympathy well. Instead Applewhite just nodded with an extra sweet smile, holding Briar hand fondly while running relaxing circles against her palm. This seemed to help most times, but not today.

She supposed that made sense. Today was the beginning of the last year, the “deciding year.” Applewhite was of the opinion that all years before the book of legends were the “deciding years” but what did she know. For the fairy-tale challenged students (rebels), this year came with a lot of grumbling and complaining. Applewhite’s heart went out to them. The world would be better if everyone had a fairy tale future like her. Unfortunately fate didn’t exactly give even roles of the dice.

That was a bit deep. Calm down Applewhite, it’s only the first day of school! Sometimes she overthought things a tad too much. It was silly.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Goldie asked her voice purposefully gentle. Applewhite startled slightly, manicured hand clutching at her chest for a second before immediately relaxing. Her pulse went a little faster. Should she say yes and just guess? Should she be honest and hope Goldie was nice about it? She had to be honest that’s what good people did and she was a good person even if sometimes she got wrapped up in her own thoughts it was such a bad habit ha ha ha wasn’t that so silly wasn’t she such a complete fucking-

“Relax Crisp Crunch. We aren’t mad if you didn’t hear Blondie.” Briar jumped in, rubbing Applewhite’s back carefully. Applewhite let out a small, embarrassed laugh, stepping away from both her friends.

“Sorry about that! You know how I can get a teensy bit distracted!” She voiced, fake enthusiasm sounding startlingly genuine. Briars nose scrunched up for a moment and Goldie bit her lip.

“Right.” Said Goldie, sounding a little downcast.

“Anyway…I was just wondering if they told you who would be your roommate.” Applewhite actually wondered that herself. In the last year students were “strongly encouraged” to live in the school dorms instead of their houses. Applewhite supposed it was to get in the spirit of it all, the typically mania before high school ended and fates were chosen. She didn’t mind the idea, if not for the fact that she’d get to meet someone new! Applewhite loved making new friends. Other people were so interesting.

“No, I don’t think the headmaster would tell me and no one else!” She let out a small giggle. Goldie nodded and smiled, but Applewhite heard Briar mumble something that sounded like ‘you’d be surprised’ under her breath.

The three girls continued to converse as they grew closer to the main campus. None of them had houses very far away from the school so the walk was quite easy. Fields of flowers and willow trees bathed in sunshine at their backs, and a giant looming figure of architectural wonder met their faces. Today was the first day of the last year. Applewhite was determined to enjoy it.

\--

The day had been long. Applewhite wouldn’t call herself an extrovert, though she usually acted like one. Though hanging out with all her many friends was fun, it was exhausting. It left her feeling drained and sleepy.

Not really a go-get them attitude, but she was working on it.

At the very least she had an awesome dorm to come home together. She loved her parents, but sometimes their rather…bumpy marriage left home feeling a bit awkward. SnowWhite could be a tad…pressuring, and her father could be a bit ignorant. Tonight she came home to a considerably smaller room, full of a comfy, peaceful aura. Here she had nothing to fear.

Applewhite let out a giant toothy smile, collapsing playfully on her puffy white bed. She wiggled around like a puppy until she grabbed a pillow. She brought it up to her face, inspecting its soft pink colours and detailed patterns. Sighing happily she pressed the soft pillow to her face, grinning like an idiot into it. The strangest urge to sob edged around the corners of her eyes and throat.

Applewhite bounced off her bed, unzipping her suitcase to start the unpacking process. Halfway through unloading her bags of clothes and posters she spotted her house-warming gift. A little thing she’d gotten for her new roommate, whoever she was.

Daring Charming had advised her on the gift giving process, having no idea how to do it herself. Apparently Daring always got birthday presents for his siblings and knew the perfect thing for this occasion.

Applewhite carefully plucked the dragon from its spot in her luggage. It was an adorable stuffy, a muted cyan colour with blue wings and green eyes. It was relaxing just to look at. And incredibly, mind blowingly soft.

She hummed as she placed it onto her neighbor’s dark purple bed, patting it on the head once as an encouragement. She guessed that a rebel was living with her, seeing the darker décor that the designers had set this side of the room with. But that hardly mattered; Rebel kids were usually just as fun as everyone else. She’d never met a cruel rebel in her life. She guessed that part came later.

They’d probably still like the dragon though. Everybody liked dragons. Stepping back to her side of the room, Applewhite began to whistle quietly to herself as she folded her clothes.

* * *

Raven had a love hate relationship with school. On the one hand, she got to see people and talk to them, and just, listen to conversations or the sound of walking or even just breathing. It was so incredibly nice. Sometimes Raven couldn’t hold back the genuine smile that seemed to burst forward from her lips at the sound of people her age simply conversing with each other. She felt safe. She also liked learning, if she was a little less enthused at the spell casting class she was dumped into every year. And as always, she had Maddy, and that was a huge plus.

Unfortunately school also came with some less pleasant side effects. Some of Ever After Highs teachers could be…a little much, and Rumpelstiltskin’s class was honestly very frustrating. How did they even let him become a teacher? Plus there was the odd looks she got from other students, which up until now had been manageable-but not anymore. This was their last real years. After that life would be made for them. And in the hand fate had given her, she was destined to try to kill the queen, send the land into a bloody and cruel chaos, and eventually be imprisoned for her treason. Just like her mother. So now the weird looks were a little more pointed. Fear from the royals increased, she could practically see them nervously wondering when she would become evil. Would they have to deal with a psychopathic teenage RavenQueen as well as an adult one? They looked at her as if she was about to snap at any moment- which, hey, was not unreasonable, but really for all the wrong reasons.

The other rebels looked at her with mixes of pity and depression. It was weird to be the constant representative of everything that sucked about being a rebel- she could feel people having mini-crisis’s about themselves while looking at her.

Plus there was always the headmaster. He had just been irritating at first, constantly praising her for every mistake she made, disappointed with things she considered successful or worthwhile. But after a while he had actually started to unnerve her. He was always there, _watching_. Waiting to ambush her into private lessons and therapy and counselling- it made her feel sick, and he never hesitated to imply that she should feel that way. That she was damaged, that she was _wrong_. But what was the alternative to damaged and wrong? More damaged and wrong-er but in jail? Sounded like fun.

\---

Raven sighed, hesitating at her soon to be new home. Dorm rooms. On the one hand, no more lonely nights by herself! On the other hand, if it was anyone but Maddy behind these doors she’d be fucked. Well, that wasn’t totally true, Cerise liked her sorta, in a passive way. They had a lot in common she supposed, although she had no idea if Cerise was going to end up as the wolf or red riding hood- that must have been tough to deal with.

Hesitantly Raven opened the door, praying it would at least be a rebel on the other side- she’d rather things be unspoken-dread-kinda-depressing-awkward than very-tense-with-fear-and-morbid-curiosity-awkward.

Raven peered around the room. Wow. This was actually pretty cozy- though she was admittedly disappointed in her beds color- more purple and black, great. But there was a sweet looking little dragon plush on her bed too, so she supposed things could be wor-

Was that…AppleWhite? Raven blinked in surprise. Okay. Well she probably should have guessed the headmaster would put her in a room with Apple, but she really hadn’t thought about it. Raven gave Apple a nervous wave and trotted forward. So she wasn’t even going to get one last hurrah before destiny was forced on her huh? She had enough nightmares with Apple in them already, she didn’t think she needed a daily reminder of who was going to gain from her suffering.

“Uh…hey Apple? I-I guess we’re roommates huh?” Raven smiled as friendly as she could. No need to make this more weird than it had to be- despite her natural urge to blame her life on Apple, the girl had no more control over it than she did.

Still. It was cool to see her up close. They’d talked before sure, but they had never been in the same social circles. (obviously) She was…actually really pretty. Her hair was blonde, but a non-obnoxious color of it that was pretty aesthetically pleasing. They were all forced to dress like their parents (which was fucking creepy objectively) but Apple actually looked good in her clothing. Raven wished she could say the same- most of the time she felt like a kid playing dress up with all this stuff. And her eyes…they were a really mesmerizing shade of blue. Kinda like Maddy’s but, more natural colored- like the sky on a pale winter day or something. Raven fiddled with the ends of her hair, suddenly nervous.

* * *

“Uh…hey Apple? I-I guess were roommates huh?” 

Applewhite startled at the voice behind her, flinching. She turned around quickly, long blond hair practically slapping herself in the face. Spitting out her own curls from her mouth and moving her hair away from her mouth with her hands, she mourned the loss of her dignity. That was a bit embarrassing.

Able to see who it was more clearly, Applewhite immediately relaxed. It was just Raven. She had seen the girl around the halls and had the occasional conversation. She was a shy, cute, book nerd. She was possibly the least threatening roommate she could’ve gotten. Her nervous lilac eyes seemed to pierce into Applewhite, like polished stones against the sun. Raven had a very nice aesthetic going for her, with all the cool bird feathers. Applewhite kind of wanted to touch them, but that would be rude. Applewhite knew that Raven would make a good roommate, as considerate and funny as she was.

It was weird then, what Raven was supposed to do in the future. Applewhite could hardly see a correlation between who Raven was now and who she’d…

But she’d get there. Everything would be fine. She just got a new roommate, why was she worrying?

“Yep! I guess Headmaster Grimm thought that we’d be good roomies!” Why did he put them together? He knew that a lot of Royals feared their rebel counterpart. She didn’t, but it wasn’t like he knew her well enough to know that…

“Do you have any, like, allergies, or something? Because I don’t want to bring anything in here that could kill you.” Applewhite idly remarked, straightening out an already completely neat bed (sometimes she just needed to make absolutely sure everything was in its place).

* * *

“Yep! I guess Headmaster Grimm thought that we’d be good roomies!” Raven laughed awkwardly. Yeah. She had no idea if Apples voice was normally that over enthusiastic, or if she too realized something was fishy. It was a really bad idea to put two fairy-tale counterparts together. Eventually someone might wonder if their destiny wouldn’t be just a little bit brighter without the other one present for it. It hadn’t happened yet, but you could feel the tension when two had to even share a classroom.

“Do you have any, like, allergies, or something? Because I don’t want to bring anything in here that could kill you.” Raven winced, sitting down on her bed. Did Apple say that to be purposefully cruel, or did she just not notice the irony of that statement? Jesus. Raven rubbed her arm uncomfortably, unable to hide her grimace for a few moments. She hated thinking about poisoning Apple. They weren’t best friends or anything, but she wasn’t a murderer, she’d never _purposefully_ want to kill Apple. But she supposed one day she would, or at least, she’d be forced to.

Raven slipped on a nervous smile, attempting to seem casual. Maybe it wasn’t as big of a deal to bring up your destiny in royal culture. She wondered if Apple thought about her ending as much as they did. Did it burn behind her eyes and every smile? Did it ache through her bones, did it make her so, so tired, knowing that everything you did was for nothing? Did she want to cry and yell and tear at the world around her, did she want to rip apart her own skin, to run far, far away to a world with no happily ever afters- just afters? Was she constantly repressing a scream that threatened at her throat too? Raven couldn’t pretend she understood all of the other rebels, but it was easy to see, if looked for. It was in the noise they made, to cover up for silence, a silence that crept up on you when you were alone, whispering that nothing meant anything. She could see it in the way they acted, so unlike their parents, as if they were attempting to hold onto the fragile feeling of having a personality before it was ripped away from them.

Did she dream of becoming someone else? Did her own face haunt her dreams? Or were her nights filled with apples and dwarves and princes coming to save the day, while an old haggard witch was locked away for her heinous crimes.

God. This is why fairy-tale counterparts shouldn’t live together. Raven could already feel resentment bubbling under her skin, burning with repressed rage. It wasn’t her fault either. It wasn’t it wasn’t it wasn’t. She had to remember that.

“Uh, well I’m not exactly fond of holy symbols or fairy blessed items, but other than that you’re good. What…about you?” Raven asked awkwardly. God the apple thing was in the air now.

* * *

The allergy question didn’t go over well. Raven immediately tensed and became agitated. Yikes. Did she have really bad allergies? Was she allergic to apples? God she could see how that’d be awkward. Applewhite’s perfect red nails dug slightly into her leggings. Had she said something wrong?

Was Raven mad at her? Was she afraid of her? Was she making Raven feel uncomfortable? Before Applewhite exploded from worry, Raven answered.

“Uh, well I’m not exactly fond of holy symbols or fairy blessed items, but other than that you’re good. What…about you?” Oh…well she didn’t have any blessed items so that was fine. She wondered why it took Raven so long to answer.

“I don’t have anything other than a mild allergic reaction to peanuts. As long as you don’t bring up a whole peanut butter jar up here, I’m fine!” She let out a little laugh, the image of Raven munching peanut butter from the jar a little ridiculous.

“What do you think of your semester’s schedule so far?” She asked, sitting down on her comfy bed and paying complete attention to Raven.

* * *

“I don’t have anything other than a mild allergic reaction to peanuts. As long as you don’t bring up a whole peanut butter jar up here, I’m fine!” Raven inwardly sighed in relief. It seemed Apple hadn’t picked up on her hurt, thank god, she didn’t need things anymore tense than they already were. Also, Apple was allergic to peanuts? She supposed it made more sense for her to have normal allergy than one apple related.

“What do you think of your semester’s schedule so far?” Apple asked, turning to face Raven fully. Raven smiled, fidgeting slightly under the royals gaze. It felt nice to know someone cared about her response and was actually interested in her, but it was kinda weird that it was Apple.

“Well, it’s alright so far- Rumpelstiltskin is my chemistry teacher, so that sucks, uh, I’ve got spell casting again, which! It’s just so frustrating! I specifically ask not to get it, and every year I do!” Raven huffed, annoyed at the headmasters meddling. Why couldn’t he just let her be happy while she still could be?

“And of course Skills in Evil is awful but what else is new.” Raven grumbled, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. Skills in Evil was a universally hated class, even by people like Kitty and Lizzy who were okay with their less than honorable futures. The headmaster taught it himself, much like he taught the Skills in Good class. It was just seventy five minutes of condescension- of some snobbish prick looking down on them, passive aggressively insulting their evil ways while dissuading them from changing them. Rebels were evil, and evil deserved to be hated, but they also had to do their parts, or no one else would get their happy endings. He didn’t want them to have pride in their destinies; he wanted them to hate themselves. He wanted them to learn to take abuse, and come back with anger, and rage and hurt. He wanted them to become frustrated enough with the system that they wouldn’t mind signing the book and handing their will over, as long as they got some taste of revenge.

Raven blushed, remembering that Apple was pretty much the most royal person on campus.

“…anyway, uh, what about you? Do you like your classes?”

* * *

“Well, it’s alright so far- Rumpelstiltskin is my chemistry teacher, so that sucks, uh, I’ve got spell casting again, which! It’s just so frustrating! I specifically ask not to get it, and every year I do!” Applewhite winced in sympathy. It wasn’t like Raven didn’t have time to learn whatever spells she needed to once she signed the book of Destiny. In fact she was pretty sure the powers were hereditary after that point. What was the point of forcing her to trudge through a class she didn’t like? Also Rumpelstiltskin was about the worst teacher anyone could get. He was cruel and unfair, with a horrible screechy voice. 

“And of course Skills in Evil is awful but what else is new.” Skills in Evil wasn’t well liked by Rebels? She supposed that made some sense, as most Rebels weren’t really evil before they accepted their destiny. The ‘what else is new’ in her sentence made it seem like this was an old, popular opinion. That sucked.

Applewhite chewed on the inside of her cheek. Headmaster Grimm also taught that class, didn’t he? Seemed like an Evil teacher should do that…but she shouldn’t think like that. Headmaster Grimm knew what was best for students, whether they were Royals or Rebels.

“…anyway, uh, what about you? Do you like your classes?” Raven asked with a small blush splattering across her cheeks. Applewhite wanted to giggle at how cute she looked, but resisted the urge.

“They’re fine. I also have Rumpelstiltskin as a teacher, but for biology. So, ew.” She punctuated the statement by playfully sticking out her tongue.

“And let’s see… Etiquette classes, which are kind of a waste of time for a future ruler, but whatever.” She also didn’t miss the fact that none of the boys went to that class. Today she sat with Darling Charming and listened as she ripped the entire concept to shreds (she almost interrupted class with her giggles). She didn’t share all of Darling Charming’s more extreme liberalism, but her rants were satisfying to listen to.

Besides it was mostly stuff about how to hold your tea cups, and which title to address your dog with or whatever. No class made her feel more like a doll, pretty but empty.

“And uh…Good class. Which…well. I don’t really know what any of us are supposed to get from it but…I’m sure it’s somehow useful.” Good Class involved a lot of studying the goodness of their parents. That could get you only so far, so the rest of it was just writing essays on your bloodlines goodness or noble deeds. She’d had it every year since the beginning of high school and she was practically relearn the exact same sentence over and over.

They never even talked about what being good actually meant, or what act classified as noble and why. But she wasn’t a teacher, nor was she their teacher Headmaster Grimm, so she probably didn’t know what she was talking about.

* * *

“They’re fine. I also have Rumpelstiltskin as a teacher, but for biology. So, ew.” Raven chuckled, relaxing slightly. So far Apple had been doing a wonderful job of steamrolling over the inherit uncomfortableness of the situation, smoothly transferring each conversation into gentler waters. Raven could see why she was so popular- it wasn’t just because of her status as future Queen, she was genuinely charming and good with conversation. Maybe she wouldn’t be such a bad roommate after all.

“And let’s see… Etiquette classes, which are kind of a waste of time for a future ruler, but whatever.” hm. That actually sounded pretty shitty- she supposed that was one of the perks of being a rebel. Nobody tried to make them look nice or act friendly or showed them the proper way to serve tea (unless you were learning Riddlish) Which was a good thing, because Raven couldn’t image being anything but bored and annoyed in a class like that.

“And uh…Good class. Which…well. I don’t really know what any of us are supposed to get from it but…I’m sure it’s somehow useful.” Raven cocked her head to the side curiously. Did royals actually not like Good Class either? It didn’t sound like Apple was pissed off, more just like she was mutely frustrated. Raven had never really thought about it, but in a way being a royal was much harder than being a rebel. Rebels pretty much got to do whatever they wanted- that meant skipping class had very little in the way of punishments, same with pulling pranks, or even getting into fights as long as it wasn’t with a royal. Rebels didn’t do much to prepare for their destinies unless they wanted to, and most didn’t. The only exception to this rule was people like Raven, who’s fate was so monstrously important that she couldn’t be allowed to stray.

But royals, well royals usually liked their endings, but they worked way harder for them too. Learning tips and tricks for their new professions, attempting to stay out of trouble and maintain perfect grades, ect. They went out of their way to meet their destinies instead of actively avoiding them, and as such had much higher expectations set on them. Plus, from what she could gather, most royals thought about their fairy tales differently than rebels. Rebels tended to think of them as unavoidable death traps, and from what little she had gathered royals saw them more as a responsibility to uphold.

“What do you even do in Skills in Good class? Wouldn’t the circumstances for ‘good’ between each fairy-tale be so different that it would make teaching a singular class on the subject pointless?” Raven asked thoughtfully. She had never really got a royals perspective on anything before, so this was sort of interesting.

* * *

“What do you even do in Skills in Good class? Wouldn’t the circumstances for ‘good’ between each fairy-tale be so different that it would make teaching a singular class on the subject pointless?” Applewhite scratched her cheek nervously. That was…a tricky question.

“Heh…yeah. I don’t know, we really just study our parents in that class. We don’t really get into the depths of morality which is-” Don’t talk about things above yourself, silly little idiot-

“…kind of weird.” Applewhite’s muscles locked together tightly. What was she doing? Spouting this bullshit about morality, to Rebel! Did she plan to incite chaos? Why couldn’t she just accept things the way they were?!

“For, um, Royals. What about you Rebels? What is there to talk about in a Rebel class? It’s not like any of you will actually be acting evil before the book of Destiny.” As much as she wanted to escape the last thread of conversation, this really wasn’t much better. It’s not like questioning a slightly different thing made her more obedient.

* * *

“Heh…yeah. I don’t know, we really just study our parents in that class. We don’t really get into the depths of morality which is-” Wow. Apple actually looked _really_ nervous. Her delicate fingers clenched together in a way that actually looked a little painful. Plus- was she…actually voicing a legitimate compliant about the system and how it worked? Raven blinked in surprise trying to wrap her head around this whole thing. She was so used to thinking that royals were perfectly happy with their futures, so used to wishing she could rule a kingdom instead of destroying one that she had never really contemplated the possibility that royals looked upon their duties with a certain amount of trepidation as well. How was Apple supposed to rule a kingdom when no one ever taught her how, blind instinct?

“…kind of weird.” Hmm, it kind of seemed like she was going to say something else. Raven cocked her head to the side gazing curiously at her roommate. How often did she audit herself?

“For, um, Royals. What about you Rebels? What is there to talk about in a Rebel class? It’s not like any of you will actually be acting evil before the book of Destiny.” Raven tensed up immediately, burying a hysterical giggle. Really? Was this line of conversation supposed to be less awkward? This was a substantially worse topic!

“Uhm, well we learn history sometimes, uh, we study our parents a bit too, but its more in a removed kind of, like, uh- what’s a good way to…it’s like, got a pretty grim atmosphere? It’s like the headmaster kinda presents it like were learning about a bunch of serial killers or something, its… not encouraging. “ Raven pauses, her tone somber, her hands running idly over the cyan colored dragon. For a moment she was lost in thought.

“I remember walking into class the first time when I first came here, and it felt, it kinda felt like we were being bullied, I dunno. The way the headmaster picks on kids is pretty antagonistic…” Raven shivers, remembering the look on Cerise’s face as the headmaster called her father a mutt, her disbelieving snarl only causing the headmaster to smirk, as if to say _‘see? She’s just naturally dangerous.’_ She remembers feeling distinctly uncomfortable, trying to make her body as small as possible as pictures of her mother flashed onscreen. Pictures of her mother causing utter chaos, setting fire to buildings, sending waves of darkness throughout the lands- all with this look, this look of such utter rage and frustration. Honestly she had wanted to cry, breathing out of control, all she could think was that that was going to be _her_. That was going to be her. The headmaster had smiled.

Raven snapped out of her trance, giving Apple an anxious and flustered smile. Shit!

“Uh! Sorry, about that, got a little heavy there…do you, uh” Ravens voice dropped off as she realized she had no idea what to say. Thinking desperately she remembered that it was around dinner time.

“-You wanna go see what we can eat around here?” There. That was a nice friendly, non-dark thing to say. Did it sound a little gay now that she was thinking about it? Maybe. But it wasn’t . She wasn’t exactly going to ask AppleWhite out on a date anytime soon, even if she wouldn’t also be crucified for doing so.

* * *

Oh god, Raven didn’t seem to like that line of questioning. She tensed up immediately, looking awkward. Applewhite was too curious sometimes, it wasn’t like Raven asked for a third degree about her own private affairs!

“Uhm, well we learn history sometimes, uh, we study our parents a bit too, but its more in a removed kind of, like, uh- what’s a good way to…it’s like, got a pretty grim atmosphere? It’s like the headmaster kinda presents it like were learning about a bunch of serial killers or something, its… not encouraging. “

No…it wouldn’t be. Raven wasn’t a murderer. And she never would be, if their fairy-tale destiny was enacted. But she’d still be locked up, for attempted manslaughter. Just like her mother. The mother they taught her about in a class designed to teach Rebels to be “a bunch of serial killers”. Raven runs her hands along the dragon, eyes far away.

“I remember walking into class the first time when I first came here, and it felt, it kinda felt like we were being bullied, I dunno. The way the headmaster picks on kids is pretty antagonistic…” Unbidden, a small amount of rage fired up into Applewhite. When Raven was a first years she wore little raven themed hoodies and big scarves. She was tiny and twiggy, but also bundled up and marshmallowy looking. What was the Headmaster doing harassing a little kid? Applewhite clicked her nails against the wood of her bed, once, but harder than necessary. It produced the sound of someone tapping bones with a knife. Maybe this school could use a better headmaster. Rebels could still become villains without the use of sneaky tactics and bullying. That’s how the book of destiny worked; after all, once you signed fate would drive you towards your path. There was no need to demonize kids before then.

“Uh! Sorry, about that, got a little heavy there…do you, uh” Raven seemed to snap out of her deep thought looking flustered and nervous.

“-You wanna go see what we can eat around here?” That seemed…a bit jumpy. But if Raven was hungry, Applewhite wasn’t going to deny her a meal! Besides, she needed some food herself, she’d seemed to be getting a little grumpy. Sympathising with Rebels was one thing, but thinking like she just did was practically traitorous. A hamburger would improve her mood and clear her mind.

“That sounds fantastic Raven! And I don’t mind if our conversations get a bit…deep. It’s our last year here, I think everyone gets a bit dour.” Dour wasn’t really the right word, the word was probably contemplative and depressed. Or at least she noticed Rebels tended to get that way and Royals tended to panic. She remembers Briar’s newest party, already planned. She remembers Briars calendar in her closet, mostly hidden by dresses and long silky scarves. Every part up till graduation, marked neatly in purple marker.

The parties took a long break after that.

“I think the campus has a cute little diner right beside it. I feel like a hamburgers.” She says instead, words chirped out naturally. Briars sorrows were too heavy for her to bear right now, especially in front of Raven. It wasn’t a problem she could fix, anyway.

* * *

“That sounds fantastic Raven! And I don’t mind if our conversations get a bit…deep. It’s our last year here, I think everyone gets a bit dour.” Raven laughed awkwardly, glad partially that Apple sympathized with her plight, even if in a sort of distant way- though to her credit, the girl had seemed to look genuinely upset when Raven was explaining herself. Raven suppressed a shiver at the memory of Apples nails harshly tapping against the wood of her bed. Menacing.

“I think the campus has a cute little diner right beside it. I feel like a hamburgers.” Raven smiled happily, perking up slightly at the mention of food. Raven always felt hungry, which was odd considering she ate plenty already. It was like her magic just, sucked away all of her energy- but ominously she got the feeling that if she didn’t consistently eat it would replenish itself in…other ways.

“Sounds good to me. I’d kill for a burger. “ Raven almost face palmed at her choice of words, but resisted somehow, standing up abruptly. God. Why was she so bad at this? She supposed the phrase was rather common, but she should know well enough to avoid stuff like this. The other rebels always seemed so much better with this stuff, Raven envied the casual friendliness that they shared- maybe that was why they knew the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of rebelhood so much better than her. Raven moved towards the door, setting down her bag by her bed as she went. It was filled to the brim with books, so she wasn’t eager to carry it everywhere with her. Despite her ...difficulties… she actually did like learning- she founds facts comforting and fiction properly distracting. At this point she read pretty much anything, a trait she shared with her mom if her mismatched library indicated anything. She wondered how similar they actually were.

Raven moved through the door, exiting to the hallway, waiting for her roommate to catch up before continuing.

“So…uh…were kinda fated to be important to each other, but, I don’t actually know anything about you other than rumors.” And many rumors there were. Apple was the center of a lot of gossip, especially with the royals. She could understand why- she was to be their future ruler, and practically the most important person who would ever live- she was mythical. When put like that, any sort of story was easy to believe. The rebels were a bit more resentful of her of course, though only a few outright hated her. She would supposedly be a good and fair queen after all. (though SnowWhite was supposed to be fair and just as well, and many adult rebels still had mixed feelings about her too) 

Raven got the distinct impression that only Apples closest friends really knew all that much about her. Which sort of seemed lonely and sad. But well, glass houses she supposed.

“So…twenty questions?” Raven asked, smiling slightly as she weaved around other students. Raven didn’t miss the way rebels and royals alike were glancing at the two of them curiously. A few people even looked judgmental, though whether it was at the danger Raven posed for Apple or the awfulness of Apple conversing cheerfully with someone who’s misery she was going to profit from Raven couldn’t tell.

* * *

“Sounds good to me. I’d kill for a burger. “ Applewhite smiled, standing up and stretching. Raven moved towards the door, leaving the purple and pink room to the colourful hallway. Applewhite patted her lovely little pillow as a goodbye and followed her dark haired roommate.

Outside of their dorm room the walls were a deep all-encompassing blue. In the daytime the light cast from the windows made it feel hopeful and vivid. In the late hours it felt shadowed and creepy, navy paint covering the school in oppressive darkness. Raven eyed her, waiting patiently for her to follow. Her plum coloured eyes flicked with the yellow of the candlelight’s, the side of her face drawn deep and dramatic blue. Despite what she should have felt, her future worst enemy framed so dramatically in the twilight, Applewhite was only calm. Something about her fairy-tale counterpart looked more ethereal and mystical rather than evil. Applewhite hurried a bit to catch up.

“So…uh…were kinda fated to be important to each other, but, I don’t actually know anything about you other than rumors.” Ravens deeper voice echoed against the relative emptiness of the hallways, eyebrows lowered in that pensive somberness she seemed to carry when thinking deeply. Applewhite wondered if Raven knew how expressive her face was. How much it really betrayed about her inner thoughts.

Raven was pretty much composed from rumors, and despite what the openness of her face seemed to suggest, was an extremely reserved person. What little was known about her had to be learned from personal interaction. Any attempt to gain information from her best friend, MaddieHatter, was usually met with riddles or light hearted sarcasm.

Most of the rumors were silly. Raven didn’t eat people, or steal from them, or kill their sister’s best friend benny behind a dumpster. Anyone who knew her even a little could dismiss them. But because of her heritage, not many people went out of their way to know RavenQueen.

Or at least, this was what Applewhite could gleam, in more abstract terms. She had never been as afraid as she probably should have, never mind of some book nerd wearing feathers.

“So…twenty questions?” Raven asked hesitantly, practically cringing at herself. Applewhite smiled cheerily. Twenty questions was a fun game, if you knew what to say. It could be unpleasant if someone hit a sore spot accidentally, but it was a good icebreaker.

Applewhite thought on a question, absentmindedly dodging the few students who wondered around at these dusk hours.

“How did you meet Maddie? You two always seemed like two peas in a pod, in your own little world.” It was something she wondered whenever she saw the two wonder around school, very obviously affectionate. When she had been younger and a bit dumb she had a little crush on Maddie, admiring her strong personality and lack of embarrassment towards her actions. Of course she was over that phase now, but it was funny to think about.

* * *

“How did you meet Maddie? You two always seemed like two peas in a pod, in your own little world.” Apple asked casually, her voice lowered slightly in the quiet of the hallway. Raven had to admit, right now Apple almost looked somewhat intimidating, the moonlight from the stained windows silhouetting her hair almost ominously, eyes of pure icy blue flickering between Ravens own face and the hallway ahead of them. Those eyes had always pulled people in, their magnetic intensity barely covered by a docile expression you’d have to be an idiot to be fooled by. Sometimes it looked like the royal could see into the future. Raven wondered if she liked what she saw.

“Oh, yeah we’ve known each other since before Ever After- I think we met around seven or eight? She was new to my school, and people didn’t really know how to deal with her energy. She’s particularly forceful I guess, even for a Wonderlander. “ Raven laughed quietly, remembering a younger somehow louder Maddie introducing herself in a confusing mess of riddlish and english in front of the class. Some of the boys had dared to laugh at her. Maddie’s head had whipped around with surprising force, her eyes locking on the kids like that of a predator- iris’s an unnatural bright cyan. She hadn’t said anything, just stared- undaunted by the teachers awkward clearing of her throat. Maddie had calmed down a bit since then, or at least, was better at keeping her ‘weirdness’ down around strangers- but Raven knew that Maddie could be more threatening than Raven ever could be.

“We were put into partners a lot, mostly because no one knew how to deal with either of us. They probably thought my quietness would settle her down. I think I just taught her to be more subtle about her mischief.” Raven smiled, her eyes crinkling in amusement. They had been a good team, and still were. She wishes she could say they always would be.

“What about you? Briar and Goldie seem pretty close to you, how did the three of you become friends?” It was odd really, that the most royal person in the school should be such close friends with someone like Goldie. Not that Goldie was a bad person or anything like that-she was pretty nice, if not a bit nosey. No, it was weird because Goldie was firmly cemented in that grey area between royals and rebels. With people like Cedar or Tommy ,Alie and Fever (the three little pigs), or Hansele and Gretil. Their destinies were not clearly good or evil, only really separated by social perception. Most people tended to consider CedarWood tentatively as a royal because she would never really do anything that harmed anyone but herself, the three little pigs and Hansele and Gretil being in the same boat. Most people in the middle were part of cautionary tales, real life lessons that the rest of the world could learn from.

Briar was to be expected- a typical loud party girl who could err on being a bit rude and blunt. She was nice enough Raven supposed, but she had always felt like the girl was vaguely judging her. She had no idea why- sleeping for a hundred years and being imprisoned for eternity were pretty similar. Maybe she was just protective of Apple.

* * *

“Oh, yeah we’ve known each other since before Ever After- I think we met around seven or eight? She was new to my school, and people didn’t really know how to deal with her energy. She’s particularly forceful I guess, even for a Wonderlander.” Raven soft chuckle was full of affection. Applewhite supposed that was true, what with the boundless amounts of energy Maddie still had. Her and Raven had always seemed so opposite, and colourful gust of wind followed by soft evening clouds.

“We were put into partners a lot, mostly because no one knew how to deal with either of us. They probably thought my quietness would settle her down. I think I just taught her to be more subtle about her mischief.” Raven smiled, eyes lighting up with the images of childhood memories dancing around her head. Applewhite smiled a bit more brittle, shoving her envy into a tiny box, and tucking it back away.

She wondered if in some way Ravens gentle nature had calmed Maddie down, or at least restrained her. Some people were just calming influences, no matter who they were around.

“What about you? Briar and Goldie seem pretty close to you, how did the three of you become friends?” Applewhite startles a little at the question, lost in her own ponderings. Raven had a relaxing voice; she could host a radio show or something. Or, rather, she could in a different world, Applewhite supposed.

“Well, I met Goldie and Briar when they both moved closer to the capital. The new girls are usually supposed to be taken under the locals wings, but it was the other way around for us!” She let out a giggle; remember aptly her own shy and fluttering manor. The two girls had moved closer to the safety of the inner states, their families escaping from a threatening darkness that had begun to plague the outskirts of the country. Refugees generally did not have an easy time in the city, especially for someone like Goldie who had a less than…shining title as a royal. Both had immediately claimed the awkward Applewhite as friend, hoping to get familial benefits from her more privileged parents.

It had worked, in a fashion. Their reputations had certainly increased as the spent time with her. Though she had been aware of their manipulation, she had put up with it easily, as a person who knew when to yield to stronger waves. She had enjoyed their companionship, fake or not.

As they became closer and more legitimately friends, Briar and Goldie became increasingly guilty of their perceived trick. When they confronted her together they had been hoping their friend would remain friends, even after they had blatantly used her. Applewhite had of course, shrugged it off. She had known, and was more touched that they had chosen to tell her than anything else.

Sometimes she sees the shame and guilt still hanging in Briar’s eyes, a weight upon her conscious. She knows that she can never lift this burden from Briar; the girl was stubborn as a hog and irrationally emotional. Goldie had eventually moved on; even referring to that period of their time together in jokes. Applewhite appreciated her brevity more than Briars feeling of betrayal.

“I was so awkward and self-involved then, you probably remember, those two practically swept me up in the current behind them!” She laughs again, truly fond of her friends, however weird their background.

“So, is it your turn to ask a question or mine?”

* * *

“Well, I met Goldie and Briar when they both moved closer to the capital. The new girls are usually supposed to be taken under the locals wings, but it was the other way around for us!” Apple remarked cheerfully, and Raven smiled. It was nice to see that their relationship didn’t seem to be one based on peer pressure or influence- though how much of Apple’s sincerity was real was hard to say- Apple could be incredibly hard to read. Or maybe she wasn’t? Raven really had no idea what was going on inside that girls head most of the time. She wanted to like her, mostly because so far she had been nothing but kind and interested in Raven, but some part of her expected the future queen to be manipulative or secretive.

Raven had no idea that Goldie and Briar had come from outside the capital, that was somewhat unexpected. The capital really was practically made out of resources and gold, the safety of the citizens practically ensured. Needless to say most rebels didn’t live there, at least usually not the ones who lived with their parents. Harmless intentions or no, the good people of Oz weren’t about to let their city be ‘infested’ by trolls and goblins. Sometimes it all seemed so convenient, that the ones who had to pledge themselves to evil destinies usually looked a lot less human. So it was interesting then, that Goldie and Briar had come from outside Oz- though Raven supposes she should have assumed as much being that Goldie’s mom was said to live in a cabin deep inside the Golden Glenn Woods, which was definitely not inside a city. And she supposed Briar lived in a castle with her parents? Huh. She really didn’t know much about her.

“I was so awkward and self-involved then, you probably remember, those two practically swept me up in the current behind them!” She did remember. Self-involved was probably a little too harsh, but Apple had been plenty awkward when she was younger. It had actually been kinda cute- shyly stumbling through Ever Afters halls, trying valiantly to hide her face behind bright blonde hair. A lot of people had tried to become Apples friend, but she had always kind of remained distant- from nerves or from fear it was she could never really tell, but it was hard not to be sympathetic. Raven had been quite a bit worse at hiding her boldness then- she had almost actually tried to include Apple in her group (It was really just her and Maddie) but hadn’t then been used to the headmasters disappointed gaze, and had quickly dropped the idea. Then Apple had been practically forcefully adopted by Goldie and Briar and…well after that it was all kind of a blur she supposed. She was so used to thinking of Apple as shy, it was hard to remember exactly when she had transitioned to calm and in control. She wondered if Apple herself even remembered.

“So, is it your turn to ask a question or mine?” Apple chirped head cocked curiously. Raven paused, quickly taking inventory of their conversation.

“I kind of already asked you a question, but because it was about the same thing as you asked me I’ll ask again…uh, this ones kinda simple, but what’s your favorite color?” Raven assumed it probably wasn’t red and white for the same reason she would never say black or purple.

* * *

“I kind of already asked you a question, but because it was about the same thing as you asked me I’ll ask again…uh, this ones kinda simple, but what’s your favorite color?” Applewhite started down the stairs, eyes flickering calmly back to Raven when she spoke.

“I like Yellow. It’s just so, cheerful, yknow?” All of DaringCharming’s house had been so yellow, a bright colour, probably denoting gold and wealth but

But she had loved it. White looks so different against yellow than it did against red. Coupled with the byzantine blue that adorned the drapes and cushions, the entire manor had reminded Applewhite of a sunny day. Though DaringCharming’s parents were always a bit-unfocused-on their children, the comradery and friendship between siblings had always helped their home keep its joyful disposition.

Applewhite didn’t want to be with DaringCharming. But he wouldn’t be such a bad husband, considering their happy childhoods together. She had always loved those summers spent arguing economics with DarlingCharming in the hot midday heat, or listening to DexterCharming newest discovery in the shaded and pleasantly cool library. The nights full of laughter at DaringCharming’s ridiculous dance poses or new horrifying snack creation.

“And what about you? It can’t be purple, right? Everyone is always giving you purple things.” She threw out casually, craning her head around to look at Raven. She could even remember when Raven had always been given purple popsicles at field day or the purple pencil as a present from the toy bin on her birthday. Applewhite wasn’t even fond of red and white anymore, she couldn’t imagine Raven’s exhaustion with deep violets and dark lilacs.

* * *

“I like Yellow. It’s just so, cheerful, yknow?” Raven nodded, running her hands along the schools cool stone walls as she descended the stairs. Yellow. Yeah that’s fitted. Cheerful but not cliché, bright and lovely like the sun, but intense like flame. Plus, if Raven had hair like Apple did yellow would be her favorite color too.

“And what about you? It can’t be purple, right? Everyone is always giving you purple things.” Raven laughed softly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She didn’t really think Apple was nearly that stupid, but she had been a little afraid she’d be one of those royals who coo’d about how much she must like ravens and darkness and purple shit. She wondered if Apple hated red or white more. Probably red.

“Yeah no, purple is like tied for my most hated color along with black. I’d have to say blue if I had to pick a color, but I think I like most colors pretty evenly. “Blue was a good color- a calming color. It was the color of windy summer skies, and Maddie’s friendly shining eyes, and the nurses wall back in elementary school, the gleaming tint on her sister’s luminescent scales. Nothing bad came in blue, even the light blue shine of mirrors held more curiosity than anxiety at this point. But really most colors were good. She spent so much time hating black and purple that she had never really heavily considered a favorite. Sometimes she worried that her personality was too much like that- struggling so hard against what she was supposed to be that she never figured out what she was. Her destiny would always define her, mostly because she insisted it didn’t. The word inescapable came to mind.

Dammit! Why was she like this? Couldn’t she just be happy for five seconds without dragging herself back into misery?

“Your turn.” She smiled, trying to keep her inner thoughts out of her tone.

* * *

Raven laughed gently as Applewhite hit the bottom of the stairs. It was a nice sound, low and smooth like a rock in a fast moving river.

“Yeah no, purple is like tied for my most hated color along with black. I’d have to say blue if I had to pick a color, but I think I like most colors pretty evenly.” Applewhite wondered if they’d be allowed to wear different colours when they graduated. Raven looked good in purple and black, but Applewhite didn’t doubt she’d look nice in blue too. Blue really suited raven, at least personality wise.

“Your turn.” Applewhite bit her lip as she approached the giant hall, the area leading to the Gate. Would it be rude to ask…

“Can you…um. Tell me if this offends you or anything, but can you turn into a dragon?” It was a stupid question, but Applewhite’s voice got high and excited nearing the end of it anyway. A dragon roommate would be so cool! She could watch her fly! What colours would she be? Maybe like a deep blue with some purples and like a sleet blue-gray-or maybe robin egg with some navy patterns or….

What type of dragon would she turn into? A Raven eyed watcher was almost a bit to on the nose. So maybe…A southern Cavern dragon? That’d be awesome! Then she could see in absolute darkness!

Applewhite shoved her immaturity back down. She shouldn’t be so…easily excitable. Just because her mother had a few dragons lodged in the castle didn’t give her the right to go foaming at the mouth. Besides, it could be personal to Raven.

But…

“Because, if you were that be, totally cool. And what would you even be, like a-“ stop, stop you idiot!

“Er…well. can you?” Jesus. Raven was going to think she was a total head case. Even if she was a dragon person or whatever, who speculates on what type of dragon a person is? That’s just weird. Hope

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this is not finished yet, if there is enough interest we will write more! :)


End file.
